ATHLETES FROM ALL OVER WORLD TEST THEIR LIMITS IN 12 HOUR ADVENTURE RACE MAY 11

Monday, April 8, 2013 6:00 PM

Participants Will Travel Over 80 Miles By Bike, Foot, Kayak, and Rope in the Course of One Day

The 9th Annual Dawn to Dusk All Out Adventure is set to begin at 7:00 am on Saturday, May 11th at Santa Margarita Lake. Participants will paddle kayaks, ride fire road and single track on mountain bikes, hike through the backcountry's best trails and scale sandstone cliffs in pursuit of the finish lines.

This classical format adventure race (as opposed to newly designed "adventure races" like obstacle course runs) draws top teams from around the globe and country because of its consistent quality of course and execution and because of the cash prize offered - a rarity in the sport. The top three co-ed teams will receive checks for $1000, $700, and $300. Single-sex teams and solos are welcome to race, but following classic rules, San Luis Obispo's All Out Events seeks to reward co-ed teams for their work.

"Our athletes have compared this event to Ironman triathlons - they take that kind of endurance," said Kristin Horowitz, event producer, "but we've designed the course and rules so that an 11-year-old can do it - literally." Conellan Coxwell had watched the events for two years before deciding to enter the event with her two younger sons - skipping optional checkpoints and having a support team (her dad) pick them up to cut the course shorter enabled her and her kids to have a fantastic race experience and finish, while top teams fought it out on a longer optional course for the win.

"This is what triathletes do when they burn out," said Horowitz, "Adventure racing is so much more laid back, team oriented, and friendly. So long as you can mountain bike and have decent endurance, you can do this, and have a great time doing it."

The Dawn to Dusk event is a hold out event in a dying sport, replaced by mass running events with lower barriers to entry. It continues to grow each year thanks to the course accessibility and experience, but also because All Out provides kayak rentals and connects racers with bike shops in town for bike rentals - making it easier than ever to travel to the location for a taste of gorgeous SLO County backcountry.